‘Umm, I think you have to call security RIGHT NOW’
STRIKING staff yesterday forced Ryanair to cancel around 250 flights, affecting tens of thousands of passengers across Europe.
A dispute over pay and conditions between the airline and staff in six countries saw them walk out for 24 hours.
Ryanair cancelled 150 flights due to the “unnecessary” strike in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Italy.
On Thursday the airline said pilots in Germany would also be going on strike, with up to 100 flights shelved as a result.
Ryanair’s chief operations officer Peter Bellew said the action was “deeply regrettable”.
He added: “It is deeply disappointing some of our customers will have their flights disrupted by an unnecessary strike.” Man is restrained THE pilot of a Ryanair plane which a man tried to flag down, told air traffic controllers: “I think you have to call the security right now.”
Audio emerged yesterday of their discussion of what do when Patrick Kehoe allegedly tried to stop the jet at Dublin Airport.
The 23-year-old Wexford man missed his flight to Amsterdam and got through a boarding gate, running on to the tarmac to try to stop it.
He later appeared in court charged with criminal damage.
In the audio from the cockpit of the plane on Thursday, the pilot said: “I think we have to call the authorities here, there is a passenger who is trying to get inside the airplane.
“Umm, I think you have to call the security right now.”
The air traffic controller replied: “The police have been contacted, they are on their way.”
The pilot responded: “Yeah they are already here luckily.”
He was then cleared for take-off and headed for the runway. The air traffic controller also warned a plane under tow about the incident.
He said: “Be careful, there was reports of a man near the Ryanair on your right running around so have an eye out.”
After Kehoe was restrained by airport police and Ryanair security, he appeared in Dublin District
Court, where he was accused of criminal damage magnetic door lock.
There were no objections to bail but a garda sought a condition banning the accused from Dublin Airport unless he had “legitimate business” at the hub.
However, this was successfully resisted by Kehoe’s solicitor, who objected to this condition. Kehoe left the court lugging a suitcase, before pulling down his tracksuit bottoms and baring his backside to waiting photographers.
Patrick Kehoe to a